The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it needs about 6,154 more ad hoc staff to conduct the governorship election in Imo State on November 11, 2023. The election is one of the three off-cycle governorship elections scheduled for this year, along with Bayelsa and Kogi States.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu said that the commission would source the required staff from neighboring states, as the online application process for ad hoc staff recruitment did not yield enough candidates for Imo State. He did not specify the reason for the shortfall, but some analysts have attributed it to the state’s security challenges and political tensions.
Yakubu made this disclosure during a two-day workshop on election reporting, ethical practices, safety, and conflict sensitivity in election coverage in Akwanga, Nasarawa State. He was represented by National Commissioner Kunle Ajayi, who also assured that all non-sensitive materials for the elections had been dispatched to the respective states.
According to Yakubu, as of October 13, 55 media organizations with 914 personnel had submitted applications through the commission’s portal to cover the elections. He also said that the printing of party agents’ tags would begin on October 16.
He added that the evaluation of Registration Area Centers (RAC) and Collation Centers had been finalized and that sessions with RAC officials had been conducted to establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for RAC management in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa. He also said that the Pre-Election Planning Technical Workshop (PEP) for Electoral Officers (EOs), Assistant Electoral Officers (AEOs), and Heads of Units (HoUs) in these states had been successfully concluded.
Ajayi also expressed concern over the issue of fake news, which he said posed a serious threat to the election process in Nigeria. He recalled the distasteful experience with fake news, hate speech, and misinformation during the 2023 general elections and urged the media to be responsible and professional in their reporting.
He said: “I would like, at this juncture, to draw the attention of the media to a crucial issue that poses a serious threat to the election process in Nigeria. That is the issue of fake news1.
“The Commission’s distasteful experience with fake news in the 2023 general elections has shown that, if not nipped in the bud, fake news can become the bane of election management in Nigeria.
“The alarming prevalence of misinformation, ‘fake news’, hate speech, and the weaponization of disinformation has become very worrisome to the Commission.”
He appealed to the media to verify their sources and facts before publishing or broadcasting any information related to the elections. He also urged them to adhere to the code of conduct and ethics of journalism and respect the rights and dignity of all stakeholders.
He said that INEC was committed to conducting free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi States, and solicited the cooperation and support of all Nigerians. He expressed optimism that despite the challenges, Nigeria would witness a successful democratic transition.
Source: Business Day
